News from the Library of Congress

April 26, 2005

Library of Congress Announces That May 2005 To Be Proclaimed "District of Columbia Veterans History Project Month" By Mayor Anthony Williams

Veterans History Project Is Library of Congress Project

WHAT: Press conference to announce May 2005 as "District of Columbia Veterans History Project Month" and to unveil designs of public service advertisements that will be carried by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro)

WHO: Representatives of Mayor Anthony Williams have been invited to attend the ceremony proclaiming May 2005 as "District of Columbia Veterans History Project Month." Deputy Librarian of Congress Donald L. Scott and Diane Kresh, director of the Veterans History Project, to unveil designs of the promotional advertisements. Additional remarks scheduled by Charles McGhee, Tuskegee airman and World War II veteran; and Marie Tucker, Navy WAV veteran, whose image is used in the public service advertisement design.

WHEN: 11 a.m. on Friday, April 29

WHERE: Madison Hall, James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. S.E.

The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center is a nationwide volunteer effort to collect and preserve oral histories from America’s war veterans. The collection is housed at the Library of Congress. To date the archives has received more than 33,000 individual submissions. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project was recently selected as one of the "Top 25" of the 2005 Innovations in American Government by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Those who are interested in participating are encouraged to email the VHP at voph@loc.gov or to call toll-free (888) 371-5848 to request a free project kit. For more information about the Veterans History Project, visit www.loc.gov/vets.